Brake cover plates are conventionally arranged on the vehicle-inner side of brake disks and protect the latter against dirt and water spray. The brake cover plates thus ensure good response during an actuation of the brake and reduce wear of the brake disks and brake pads. Furthermore, wet fading is prevented. Aside from the protective function, brake cover plates also serve to shield the components of a wheel suspension against the action of heat generated during intense loading of the brake.
Brake cover plates are known, for example, from DE 28 14 252 A1, DE 103 36 798 A1 and DE 10 2004 044 514 A1. For fastening to a wheel carrier, there may be provided on the brake cover plate a central fastening flange which, as disclosed in DE 28 14 252 A1, is screwed to the wheel carrier. Such a fastening has however hitherto not been adequately stable. Furthermore, the brake cover plate can be excited so as to perform undesired vibrations. It is therefore proposed in DE 103 36 798 A1 that the brake cover plate be fastened with an interference fit to a central projection of the wheel carrier or to an axle journal provided thereon.
With conventional brake cover plates, normally only the brake disk and the brake pads are protected against dirt and water spray. It is nevertheless not possible to rule out the action of dirt on the wheel bearing despite the provision of a brake cover plate. For this reason, wheel bearings usually have a sealed rolling bearing arrangement which, as described for example in DE 10 2007 010 290 A1 and DE 10 2007 040 581 A1, may additionally have a pre-seal positioned in front of it. In DE 10 2007 010 290 A1, the pre-seal is in the form of a sealing ring mounted in front of the wheel bearing, which sealing ring must be mounted separately. Also, in DE 10 2007 040 581 A1, the pre-seal is realized by an annular body which must be produced and mounted separately and which is held clamped between an inner ring of the rolling bearing arrangement and a shoulder of the wheel carrier.